Learn Cantonese or not?
Although Cantonese is a home language in Hong Kong, each Filipino resident and domestic helper hold different views towards learning this “foreign language” or not.

Generally speaking, residential Filipinos are less resistant to learn and approach Cantonese since they understand the necessity and value of Cantonese in Hong Kong. Although all of the residential Filipino interviewees are working in service industry that they are only required to speak English with customers in Central or Soho District in Hong Kong, they still see the point of learning Cantonese. For example, Randy used to be resistant to learn Chinese that she chose to work for foreign employers so that she would not be required to speak Chinese. But when times went past, she found the language is crucial to fit in the local society. Similarly, Rose recognized the usefulness of Cantonese for communication and employment in Hong Kong, at the same time, she thought learning Cantonese can help her build up a sense of locality.

In order to construct the identity of Hong Kong people, residential Filipinos would rather recognize the importance of Cantonese since they think that speaking fluent Cantonese can make them be a part of local community. Although the language proficiency of Cantonese among these 5 residential Filipinos are still at the beginner level which they can only speak a little bit Cantonese for greeting and casual chatting, they are not resistant to the identity of Hong Kong and they want to construct a close relationship with local community by learning Cantonese. Like what Garry claim, he wants to be considered as an “inner member” of Hong Kong society and he even wants to marry a Hong Kong girl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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​“No, I am a Filipino, forever.”
When the questions comes to domestic helpers, different stories were told. For domestic helpers, they claim that there is no connection between choice of language use and identity. Language use is really dependent on the working situation and for working purpose, but not for getting in any social community.
Lanny, who has come to Hong Kong for more that 7 years, learning Cantonese is mainly for communicating with their working family members. She claimed that she would not consider herself as a part of local Hong Kong community although she can actually speak quite fluent Cantonese. Even when she was asked to speak Cantonese during interview, she refused to do so. Obviously, she wants to distance from the local community which she prefers speaking Cantonese only when she serves the old lady who can only speak Cantonese in working family. In Lanny’s eyes, languages will not have any influences of her sense of identity. She considers herself as a Filipino, instead of a Hong Kong. However, her resistance to use Cantonese has revealed disaffiliation to a social community with choice of language use (Thornborrow, 2003). Although she can speak Cantonese fluently, but she intentionally uses Tagalog with friends and English with others to distance herself from local community.

Similarly, Layla and Lisa who are willing to learn Cantonese for knowing more about local culture also claim that they are not part of the local community. They like to learn Cantonese but they would still consider themselves as outsiders of local community, like what Layla said “I am a Filipino whatever language I speak.”  In the case of Filipino domestic helpers, rather than constructing local identity through learning Cantonese,  they value their own language,Tagalog​

​and cultural identity which led them not to embrace Cantonese or Chinese.

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Speaking Tagalog=outsiders of Hong Kong?
With regard to the different thoughts between domestic helpers and residential Filipinos towards their identities, we can see that domestic helpers values their cultural identity with their language maintenance. Although they have worked in Hong Kong and have lived with local families for a long time, they would still want to keep their cultural differences with other ethic groups by speaking their own national language, Tagalog. In their eyes, Tagalog does not receive any lower recognition in Hong Kong since they believe it is an international city to embrace multiculturalism. They are more often to speak Tagalog in public places with their friends. Somehow, domestic helpers tend to use language to segregate themselves from the local community.

On the other hand, identity is not only constructed the self through discourse, making language choices, identity is more often identified and interpreted by others (Goffman, 1963). While domestic helpers who insists on speaking Tagalog, local people would often not consider them as a part of local community. Speakers intentionally attempt to influence how hearers perceive them, ultimately it is hearers create the identity of speakers. Therefore, residential Filipinos who are willing to speak casual Cantonese and learn Cantonese are more often perceived as emerging in local community. Although residential Filipinos are not able to speak fluent Cantonese, they switch their language and linguistic styles in different situation in order to create a new identity with hearers, which is quite different from domestic helpers.

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References:

​Goffman, E.(1963). Stigma: Notes on the management ofspoiled identity. EnglewoodCliffs, NJ:

Prentice-Hall.

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Thornborrow, J., Thomas, L., Wareing, S., Singh, I., Peccei, S.J. (2003). Language, Society and Power : An Introduction. Lodon: Routledge.